The present invention relates to devices from administering, injecting, infusion, dispensing or delivering substances, and to methods of making and using such devices. More particularly, it relates to a system and a device for removing a pharmaceutical product or substance from a reservoir.
In medicine, primarily liquid pharmaceutical products or substances are often filled into sealed reservoirs or containers, for example into vials with a content of a few milliliters. Medical personnel, for example, may pierce the seal of the container with a cannula and fill a syringe with a required amount of pharmaceutical product, as required.
To avoid handling exposed cannulas, and the risk of injury associated therewith, adaptors may be used between the container and the syringe. Various embodiments of an adaptor are, for example, known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,876. This adaptor has a first container connector for coupling to a first container, a second container connector for coupling to a second container, a central part between the two connectors and a cannula which the central part keeps protected from inadvertent contact inside the adaptor. The first container connector has elements separated from one another by slots in the side wall thereof to enclose a part of the first container. The second container connector has two openings in the side wall thereof to receive on a front part of the second container two laterally projecting parts similar to a snap connection. In one embodiment, the adaptor has a locking mechanism, which holds the adaptor after coupling to the container in a position in which the central part is compressed. In a further embodiment, wherein this compression is not required, the central part is rigid and has two opposing grip surfaces.
In one application, an adaptor is used to fill an ampoule for an insulin pump, for example an Accu-Chek® insulin pump from Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Germany, with insulin. The insulin pump continuously dispenses insulin to the body, via a thin tube, the cannula thereof being located under the skin. Microprocessors control a motor which moves a stopper, for example every three minutes, via a threaded rod into an insulin ampoule. The patient may replace an empty ampoule either by an ampoule, which has been refilled with insulin by himself, or by an ampoule which is ready to use.
Devices for self-administering pharmaceutical products should to be able to be handled in a user-friendly manner, easily and without a great expenditure of force.